Mattress with reinforced opening



1953 DE MERLE E. ECKART ET AL MATTRESS WITH REINFORCED OPENING Filed Nov. 26, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet INVENTOR. Ja'mv 72 fioszwzznr anr/ BY DMZ. EJKAFT,

Oct. 13, 1953 DE MERLE E. ECKART ET AL 2,654,898

MATTRESS WITH REINFORCED OPENING Filed Nov. 26, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V EN TOR. vmv R Foszzvzmar and DEM/EC}! E. fem/5P7 M4 M. ATTORNEY Patented Oct. 13, 1953 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MATTRESS WITH REINFORCED OPENING Dc Merle E. Eckart, Abilene, and John R. Rosenleai, Enterprise, Kans.

Application November 26, 1948, Serial No. 62,115

2 Claims. 1

The present invention relates to mattress structure, and is particularly concerned with the provision of a mattress for an invalids bed, provided with an opening therethrough for the accommodation and movement therethrough of a bed pan, for instance, of the character disclosed in our co-pending application Serial Number 62,112, filed November 26, 1948, for Bed Pan Device. We are here concerned with the details of various forms of mattress openings and guards therefor, the primary object of the present invention being to provide structure of such character as to accommodate a bed pan which will normally be supported beneath the bed and which is projectible into a position for convenient use by an occupant of the bed. Ancillary objects of the invention consist in the provision of means for reinforcing the walls of such an opening, means for protecting the interior of such an opening against contamination, means providing for normal resiliency of the mattress in the region of such an opening, means for holding such an opening normally closed, but permitting expansion thereof when the bed pan is to be projected, and detailed structure for controlling the expan--' sion and contraction of such an opening. Further objects of the invention will appear as the description proceeds. 5

To the accomplishment of the above and related objects, our invention may be embodied in the Fig. 3 is a view similar to Fig. land showing a modified form of structure;

Fig. 4 is a fragmental section taken substantially on the line 4--4 of Fig. 3;

Fig. 5 is 'a plan view of a further form of mattress opening including means for normally holding the opening in closed condition;

Fig. 6 is a vertical section taken substantially on the line 6-6 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a fragmentary plan view of a mechanical device for expanding a mattress opening generally of the character of that illustrated in Fig. 5;

Fig. 8 is an enlarged fragmental longitudinal sectional view of the structure illustrated in Fig 7;

Fig. 9 is a, similarly enlarged fragmental transverse sectional view taken substantially on the line 9-9 of Fig. 7; and

Fig. 10 is an enlarged fragmental perspective view of a detail of the operating mechanism oi Fig. 7.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, it will be seen that, in Figs. 1 and 2, we have illustrated a fragment of a mattress indicated generally by the reference numeral H) and including the usual cover or ticking ll, said mattress being formed withan opening 12 therethrough extending between the upper and lower surfaces thereof. The ticking I I is formed to provide an integral or integrated tubular sleeve l3 which defines the walls of the opening l2.

A substantially rigid tubular element l4 which may preferably be formed of sheet metal or like material, is provided at its lower end with an outturned bead l5, and is received within the opening I! with its head disposed near the lower mouth of said opening. The element I4 is so proportioned with respect to the opening I: that its bead [5 will radially distort the walls of the tubular ticking sleeve 13, whereby said element will be held, by the resilience of the mattress stufling, against substantial axial movement within the opening I 2. The upper end of the element I4 will extend somewhat beyond the horizontal median plane of the mattress, as shown.

A second tubular element It proportioned and designed to telescope snugly within the open upper end of the element I4, is likewise provided with a head I! near its'upper end, the dimensions of the element i6 being such that it, too, will distort the walls of the sleeve l3 and will be held against substantial axial movement relative to the distorted portions of said walls. It will be obvious that, because of the telescopic relation between the elements l4 and Hi, the reinforcing means will not substantially affect the capacity of the mattress to respond to forces impressed upon its upper surface, so that the patient on the mattress will experience no discomfort as a result of the provision or the reinforcing means which holds the opening 12 against radial collapse.

In this form of the invention, we have shown the usual bed sheet I 8 cut away to provide a hole registrable with the upper mouth of the opening l2 and we prefer to secure to the sheet, at perimetrally spaced points about the hole therein,

a series of elements l9 each comprising one unit of a separable fastener. A corresponding series of elements 26, adapted to mate with the elements i9, is provided about the perimetral end portion 2| of a rubber or rubberized tube 22, whereby said perimetral portion of said tube may be secured to the sheet l8 about the perimeter of the hole therein. The body of the tube 22 projects through the opening l2, and its opposite end 23 is outturned in the manner clearly illustrated in Fig. 2, said end portion 23 carrying a perimetral series of fastener elements 24 adapted to mate with a corresponding series of elements 25 secured to the lower surface of the mattress.

In Figs. 3 and 4, we have shown a modified arrangement similar in functional effect to that illustrated in Figs. 1 and 2. In this form of the invention, the mattress 30 is provided with ticking 3| formed to provide a tubular sleeve 33 defining the walls of the opening I2. Within the opening is disposed a coiled spring 34 whose lower and upper convolutions, 35 and 31, re-

spectively, are disposed in parallel planes normal to the axis of the spring. The diametrical dimension of the spring 34 will preferably somewhat exceed the undistorted corresponding dimension of the sleeve 33 whereby, upon insertion of said spring into the opening, the walls of the sleeve 33 will be outwardly distorted in the manner clearly illustrated in Fig. 4 to inhibit axial movement of the spring 34 relative to the mattress. While a spring formed of wire of round section is illustrated, it will be clear that the spring may equally wll be made from fiat stock.

In this form of the invention, we have shown the sheet 38, corresponding to the sheet [80f Fig. 2, formed with a tube 39 adapted to be projected through the opening I2, the remote end of said tube being outturned as at 40 and provided with a perimetral series of fastening elements 4| adapted to mate with a corresponding series of elements 42 secured to the lower surface of the mattress. Obviously, the sheet 38 may be a rubber sheet of the character customarily used in hospitals, and may be used in cooperation with a textile sheet formed with a mere port therein for registry with the opening l2, the latter sheet being preferably secured in place about they perimeter of the opening l2 in any suitable fashion.

It is believed to be obvious that this form of the invention will likewise contribute to the comfort of the patient.

In Figs. and 6, we have shown a port construction of such character that the lateral walls of the mattress opening will normally be held resiliently in mutual contact, being separable by a force applied to guide plates associated with said walls through a bed pan of suitable construction. The mattress 50 of this form of the invention is provided with an opening 52 guarded by relatively movable portions 53 and 54 of the ticking 5|. A guide plate 55 lies in contact with the ticking wall 53, being supported in that position by a rolled bead 56 sleeved upon the body 51 of a C-shaped anchor 58 embedded in the mattress. A similar guide plate 59 bears upon "the wall 54, said plate being similarly supported through the medium of a rolled bead 66 sleeved on the body 8| of a corresponding anchor 62.

Other anchors 63 and 64, disposed substantially in the median longitudinal plane between the walls 53 and 54, and beyond the ends of the opening 52, support coiled springs 65 and 66;

said springs engaging the walls 53 and 54 near their upper ends. Similar anchors (not shown) support coiled springs 61 and 68 bearing against the walls 53 and 54 near their lower ends. It will be seen that the tendency of the springs 65, 66, 61 and 68 is to urge the walls 53 and 54 toward each other.

The lower edge of the plate 55 projects beyond the lower surface of the mattress 56 and flares away from the plate 59, as at 69, through a smooth curve 10, as is clearly shown in Fig. 6; and the lower edge of the plate 59 similarly flares away from the plate 55, as at H, through a smooth curve 12. Thus, when the plates 55 and 59 are in contact with each other, their lower end portions are separated and the portions 10 and 12 thereof present camming surfaces to, for instance, the tapered nose [3 of a bed pan, for instance of the character illustrated in our copending application Serial Number 62,114, filed November 26, 1948, for Bed Pan. Thus, as such nose 13 is urged upwardly, bearing against the surfaces i0 and 12, the plates 55 and 59 will be separated, in the manner illustrated in Fig. 6, and continued upward movement of the bed pan will cause further separation of said plates, against the tendency of the springs 65, 66, 61 and 68, to permit passage of the bed pan entirely through the opening 52. Upon subsequent withdrawal of the bed pan, the plates 55 and 59 will be returned into mutual contact to close the opening 52.

In Figs. 7 to 10, we have shown mechanical separating means, cooperable with a mattress opening resiliently held normally-in closed condition. In this form of the invention, the mattress 15 is formed with an opening '16 whose lateral walls 11 and 18 are continuously urged into mutual contact by leaf springs 19 and engaging the Wall 11, and 8| and 82 engaging the wall 18. As shown, the remote ends of the springs 19 and 8! are riveted together, and the ends of the springs 86 and 82 will be similarly riveted together, the riveted ends of the spring pairs being suitably anchored in place within the mattress. It will be obvious that the leaf springs may be used in place of the coiled springs in the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. 5 and 6, and that coiled springs may be used in place of leaf springs in the form of the invention illustrated in Figs. '7 to 10.

A bar 83 is transversely supported upon the bed frame 84 upon which the mattress of this form of the invention is carried. A lever 85 is formed, near one end, with an opening 86 adapted to be sleeved upon the bar 83. As is most clearly shown in Figs. 7 and 10, the perimetral walls of the opening 86 are axially curved,

the opening being so proportioned that the lever 85 may rock about an axis transverse to the axis of the bar 83, as well as about the axis of the bar 83. A stop block 81 is fixed to the bar adjacent one lateral surface of the lever 85, and a second stop block is fixed to the bar 83 adjacent the other lateral surface of said lever, said blocks 81 and 9B cooperating with said lever to prevent bodily movement thereof axially with respect to the bar 83. Surfaces 88 and 9| on the blocks 81 and 96 normal to the axis of the bar 83 likewise prevent clockwise rocking movement of the lever 85 about an axis transverse to the axis of the bar 83; but oppositely disposed inclined surfaces 89 and 92 on the blocks 81 and 90 permit limited counter-clockwise rocking of said lever about such axis, as viewed in Fig. 7.

At its end remote from the opening 86, the i lever 85 carries a sleeve 93 in which is journalled a pin 94 having a collar 95 which carries a claw whose body 96 extends substantially parallel with the median longitudinal plane of the mattress opening and. which carries two arms 91 and 98 projecting substantially into that plane and there carrying upstanding fingers 99 and I adapted to be disposed in the mattress opening and in engagement with the wall 11 thereof. Preferably, but not necessarily, the fingers 99 and I00 will be secured to the spring I9 or 00.

A rock shaft IN is journalled in the frame 84 upon an axis parallel to the axis of the bar 83, and fixedly carries a collar I02 which, in the illustrated embodiment of the invention, carries two diametrically spaced rollers I03. Loosely mounted on the shaft IOI adjacent the collar I 02 is a cam element I04 formed with a peripheral cam surface I of variable axial height engaged by the rollers I03. Upon its end remote from the cam surface I05, the element I04 carries a non-circular projection I08 engaging in a curved slot I01, concentric with the opening 86, in that end of the lever 85 adjacent said opening 86. It will be seen that this construction permits rocking movement of the lever 85 about the axis of the bar 83, while holding the cam element I04 against oscillation about the axis of the shaft I0 I. An abutment washer I08 fixed to the shaft IOI supports one end of a spring I09, the other end of which engages the lever 85 to urge said lever and the cam element I04 toward the fixed collar I02, whereby the surface I 05 is held resiliently in engagement with the rollers I03.

A similar lever I I0 is formed with an opening III, sleeved on the bar 83 and anchored by the abutment blocks I I 2 and I I3 similar to the blocks 81 and 90. A cam element I I4 similar to the element I04 cooperates with a collar II5 similar to the collar I02, the adjacent end of the lever H0 being pressed against said cam element II4 by a spring II'I confined between said lever and a washer I I6 similar to the washer I08. At its remote end, the lever I I0 carries a sleeve H8 in which is journalled a pin I I9 carrying a claw I like the claw 96, the fingers I2I and I22 of said claw I20 operatively engaging the wall I8 of the mattress opening.

It will be clear that the springs 19, 80, 8| and 82 and the springs I09 and II! will normally hold the mattress walls I1 and I8 in mutual engagement to close the mattress opening. If, however, the shaft IOI is rocked in a clockwise direction, as viewed from the bottom of Fig. 7, the rollers on the collars I02 and II 5 will ride up the cooperating cam surfaces of the elements I04 and H4 to force said cam elements toward each other against the tendency of the springs I09 and H1, thereby rocking the lever H0 in a clockwise direction and the lever 85 in a counter-clockwise direction to move them into the dotted-line positions of Fig. '7. The claw elements 96 and I20 are thus separated to draw the walls 11 and I8 apart, against the tendency of the leaf springs, to permit passage of a bed pan, for instance of the character illustrated at I23 in Fig. 9, through the mattress opening. An operating lever I24 is secured to the shaft IOI through a pivot pin I25, and may be engaged with a stop bracket I26 carried by the bed frame 84 after the shaft has been so rocked, to hold the parts in the dotted-line positions of Fig. 7. It will be clear that, since the levers 85 and H0 are rockable about the axis of the bar 83, the claws 96 and I20 will not inhibit vertical resiliency of that portion of the mattress immediately surrounding the opening therethrough.

We claim as our invention:

1. A mattress for an invalids bed, said mattress being formed with a substantially vertical opening therethrough constructed and arranged for the passage of a bed pan therethrough and having an upper mouth and a lower mouth, tubular, axially collapsible sleeve means defining perimetral walls for said opening, a first substan tially rigid tubular element formed adjacent one end with outwardly projecting-perimetrallyarranged flange means, said element being located wholly within said sleeve means and laterally sustaining the latter, with its flange means disposed near the lower mouth of said opening and perimetrally outwardly distorting said sleeve means to anchor said element relative to said sleeve means, and said element projecting upwardly beyond a predetermined plane intermediate the upper and lower surfaces of said mattress, and a second substantially rigid tubular element formed adjacent one end with outwardly-projecting, perimetrally-arranged flange means, said second element being located wholly within said sleeve means and laterally sustaining the latter, with its flange means disposed near the upper mouth of said opening and perimetrally outwardly distorting said sleeve means to anchor said second element relative to said sleeve means, said second element projecting downwardly past said plane and being telescopically engaged with said first tubular element to provide for axial movement of said tubular elements, relative to each other.

2. The mattress of claim 1 including a tube of waterproof, flexible material arranged within said tubular elements, penetrating said opening, and provided at each end with a perimetrally outturned portion, and means for removably anchoring each such out-turned portion against substantial movement relative to one horizontal surface of said mattress.

DE MERLE E. ECKART. JOHN R. ROSENLEAF.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 183,973 Rhodes Oct. 21, 1876 321,983 Koss July 14, 1885 666,458 Batic Jan. 2.2, 1901 801,865 Hall et al. Oct. 17, 1905 944,204 McKay Dec. 21, 1909 1,589,889 Mas et al June 22, 1926 1,604,205 Tiffany Oct. 26, 1926 

